Muted after 9/11, NSA critics find their voice WASHINGTON (AP) — After 9/11, there were no shades of gray. There are plenty now. The vigorous debate over the collection of millions of Americans’ phone records, underlined by a narrow House vote upholding the practice, buried any notion that it’s out of line, even unpatriotic, to challenge the national security efforts of the government. Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, joined in common cause against the Obama administr...

Striking back against court’s Voting Rights ruling WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration opened an aggressive new front in the battle over voter protection Thursday, singling out Texas for legal action and promising broader efforts to come after last month’s Supreme Court ruling that wiped out a major provision of the Voting Rights Act. It was the administration’s first legal response to counter the justices’ 5-4 decision, but Attorney General Eric Holder pledged that “it will not be our ...

Obama says GOP opposition to debt limit ’deadbeat’ JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Setting up an impending new fight over the federal budget, President Barack Obama on Thursday accused Republicans of acting like a “deadbeat” by refusing to raise the government’s borrowing cap without spending cuts. Obama made his third campaign-like stop of a two-day swing to refocus debate on the economy at the Jacksonville Port Authority, where he accused House Republicans of “constant gridlock or my way or the hi...

New health insurance markets: Not like Travelocity WASHINGTON (AP) — You may have heard that shopping for health insurance under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul will be like using Travelocity or Amazon. But many people will end up with something more mundane than online shopping, like a call to the help desk. Struggling with a deadline crunch, some states are delaying online tools that could make it easier for consumers to find the right plan when the markets go live on Oct. 1. A...

Report: Teen HPV vaccination rate still lagging ATLANTA (AP) — Only about half of U.S. teenage girls have gotten a controversial cervical cancer vaccine — a rate that’s changed little in three years. “We’re dropping the ball,” said Dr. Thomas Frieden, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “This is a huge disappointment.” About 54 percent of teenage girls have received at least one of the three HPV shots. Only a third was fully immunized with all three doses. Last year’s ra...

Obama administration won’t use ’coup’ for Egypt WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration told lawmakers Thursday that it won’t declare Egypt’s government overthrow a coup, U.S. officials and lawmakers said, allowing the United States to continue providing $1.5 billion in annual military and economic aid to the Arab world’s most populous country. William Burns, the State Department’s No. 2 official, held closed-doors briefings with House and Senate members just a day after Washington delay...

Korean War foes gather in NKorea to remember war PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Two decorated U.S. war veterans who survived one of the worst battles of the Korean War found themselves among former foes at a memorial ceremony Thursday as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un launched the country’s commemoration of the war’s end 60 years ago. It’s unusual for American veterans to attend official events surrounding the July 27 war anniversary in North Korea, called “Victory Day” here. The veterans ar...

Legislators mull risk to health centers funding LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Directors of community health centers that serve some of the poorest Arkansans in areas with a dearth of medical providers told legislators Thursday that they oppose a provision in a health care expansion plan that could lower their revenue. The centers provide medical, dental and mental health services mainly to people with no health insurance or limited coverage. Legislators disagreed about the severity of the revenue loss...

Attorney general warns of phone scams LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel is warning about two phone scams going on in the state. McDaniel says his office has received a number of reports that people claiming to be with credit card companies or the government are trying to obtain credit card or bank numbers. McDaniel says one scam involves a person alleging to be with a credit card company and saying the would-be victim’s credit cards are locked and that t...

OSHA proposes $126,000 fine for refinery SMACKOVER (AP) — Officials from the U.S. Labor Department have cited a Smackover refinery, alleging five safety violations involving the production of napthenic crude oil. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing $126,900 in fines for the Martin Operating Partnership refinery in southern Arkansas. The most-serious charge lodged Thursday alleges the company didn’t ensure relief valves were properly sized. Other allegations...

OSHA says De Queen plant has safety violations De QUEEN (AP) — Federal officials are proposing $170,000 in fines for a Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plant at De Queen, alleging 11 safety violations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says the plant could have exposed workers to hazardous chemicals. The company said it’s reviewing the complaint and said no employee had been injured. OSHA said it found nine serious violations, one repeat violation and one willful violation. In the m...

Senate set to finish work on student loan deal WASHINGTON (AP) — Borrowing for tuition, housing and books would be less expensive for students this fall but the costs would start climbing almost immediately under a deal the Senate was poised to pass Wednesday. The bipartisan proposal lawmakers were considering would link interest rates on federal student loans to the financial markets, providing lower interest rates right away but higher ones if the economy improves as expected. Senate aid...

Weiner faces growing calls to quit mayor’s race NEW YORK (AP) — Anthony Weiner is forging ahead with his mayoral campaign and shrugging off calls for him to quit amid a new round of revelations about his salacious online dalliances with women. The ex-congressman was greeted with boos as he took the stage at a public housing meeting Wednesday evening. But by the end of his remarks, the crowd loudly cheered. Some rivals, newspapers and a former congressional colleague are pressing the Democra...

House narrowly rejects effort to halt NSA program WASHINGTON (AP) — The House narrowly rejected a challenge to the National Security Agency’s secret collection of hundreds of millions of Americans’ phone records Wednesday night after a fierce debate pitting privacy rights against the government’s efforts to thwart terrorism. The vote was 217-205 on an issue that created unusual political coalitions in Washington, with libertarian-leaning conservatives and liberal Democrats pressing for the ch...

Pentagon delaying fighter jet delivery to Egypt WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is delaying delivery of four F-16 fighter jets to Egypt in light of the military overthrow of Mohammed Morsi as president, but it has not decided whether to suspend military aid more broadly, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Pentagon press secretary George Little said President Barack Obama made the decision to hold up the F-16 delivery while the administration continues to review options and consult with Congress on mil...

White House: GOP immigration remark ’unfortunate’ WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Wednesday condemned a Republican congressman’s assertion that many immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as kids are actually running drugs. White House press secretary Jay Carney said the comments from Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, “were extremely unfortunate, and I think a number of people have pointed out that they were offensive.” “They certainly don’t help any efforts by Republicans to improve their stan...

Judge freezes challenges to Detroit bankruptcy DETROIT (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday swept aside lawsuits challenging Detroit’s bankruptcy, settling the first major dispute in the scramble to get a leg up just days after the largest filing by a local government in U.S. history. After two hours of arguments, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes made clear he’s in charge. He granted Detroit’s request to put a permanent freeze on three lawsuits filed in Ingham County, including another j...

FDA: Menthol cigarettes likely pose health risk RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Food and Drug Administration review concludes that menthol cigarettes likely pose a greater public health risk than regular cigarettes but does not make a recommendation on whether to limit or ban the minty smokes — one of the few growth sectors of the shrinking cigarette business. The federal agency released the independent review on Tuesday and is seeking input from the health community, the tobacco industry and others...

Snowden lawyer: Leaker staying in Russia for now MOSCOW (AP) — National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, who fled to Moscow’s airport a month ago, aims to stay in Russia for the near future and learn the country’s culture and language, his lawyer said Wednesday. To get him started, Anatoly Kucherena said he gave Snowden a copy of “Crime and Punishment,” Dostoyevsky’s lengthy novel about the torment and redemption of a man who thought himself outside the law. “I am not talking about the...

No more mail at your door? Delivery changes eyed WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans for generations have come to depend on door-to-door mail delivery. It’s about as American as apple pie. But with the Postal Service facing billions of dollars in annual losses, the delivery service could be virtually phased out by 2022 under a proposal a House panel was considering Wednesday. Curbside delivery, which includes deliveries to mailboxes at the end of driveways, and cluster box delivery would replace let...